With a Dash of Cinnamon
by Dawn of Chaos
Summary: She was full of doubt and worry, her insecurities getting the best of her. Even the endless love she holds deep inside is not enough to drag her out of the depths of despair.


Laughing, she lightly taps the back of the other girl's cranium. The girl's blonde head dips forward and her long hair, styled into two ondango, sway. Those golden tresses form bangs just over her blue eyes, which turn to glare back at her assailant. "Rei," the girl whines, "What was that for?"

Rei laughs as she stands, "Are you done, Usagi?" Her dark purple eyes stay locked onto Usagi's slender body as it seems to wiggle in its spot. A soft smile graces Rei's lips, aware of the way Usagi's eyes look away with her cheeks lightly tinted with pink.

In that moment Rei catches the glint of the phone resting on the table before them. Her hands idle in their reach for the empty bowls, for which she had fixed them a small lunch. Black hair falls over her shoulder, shielding her face from Usagi's view, and for that she's glad. The perplexed look on her countenance is one that even she's not sure about.

All she knows is the all consuming fire that burns inside of her. She bites, hard, on the inside of her cheek – doing her best to quell any emotion that dares to rise to the surface. To not draw attention to herself, she gathers up the bowls and moves around the side of the table. As she does do, Usagi tentatively returns her gaze to the table for which she picks up her phone.

Even with her back turned and eyes closed, she can see the name. Yet still she tries not to let it bother her, like so many other times it might have. It's when Usagi stands and brushes her hands over her short, dark blue skirt that she gets it. Usagi fixes the white jacket over pink top before slipping her phone into one of the pockets.

"Thanks for lunch Rei, it was great!"

Glancing over her shoulder, she raises an eyebrow at the blonde, "Are you leaving?"

Usagi rubs at the back of her head, "Yeah, I need to get some notes from Ami."

Quickly setting the bowls back down on the table, Rei meets Usagi at the edge of the table. "If you need help studying, I'll help you."

"Thanks Rei," she says, a miniscule smile on her face.

_**Do I imagine it, or do I see your stare? Is there still a longing there? Oh I hate myself, and I feel crazy. Such a classic tale.**_

"Anything for you."

The small voice is followed by Usagi turning her head, breaking their eye contact. Rei reaches out for Usagi, intending to give her a hug goodbye, to bring her close. The blonde allows the taller girl to embrace her, her face burrowing into the side of Rei's neck. She brings one arm up to lightly wrap around Rei's side. But the movement is stiff and maybe even a little cautious. As Rei goes to pull away she notices her love's look, one that doesn't focus on her but instead on the door – as if she can't wait to get away from her.

That glance almost makes Rei falter and dismiss the pretty little whispers she tells herself. It's the same look Usagi gave earlier – one that she thought was love. Her eyes stalk the way Usagi turns her gaze away from the door and back to Rei herself. Rei clenches a fist at her side before uncurling her fingers slowly so that her nails cease to bite into her palms.

_**Current girlfriend, ex-girlfriend, I'm trying to be cool. Am I being paranoid? Am I seeing things? Am I just insecure?**_

The pain throbbing in her hand is nothing as she reaches for Usagi, the girl opening the door wider. In the last moment Rei wraps her arms around Usagi's shoulders, pulling Usagi against her. She waits patiently for Usagi, holding her breath while Usagi tilts her head. The second she does, Rei captures her lips in a kiss. Her own eyes are closed, giving every ounce of love that boils inside of her body. Usagi weakly kisses back into the intoxicating kiss, her lips pulling away even before Rei wishes her to.

Rei's arms begin to slip away despite wanting to drag the girl back inside and keep her all to herself. "Are you still coming back tonight like we planned?"

Usagi says little, merely gives a brief smile before taking a step away. "I'll call you later before I come."

_**I want to believe it's just you and me. Sometimes it feels like there's three of us in here baby. So I wait for you to call and I try to act natural.**_

Rei gives a hopeful smile, "Be safe! Don't forget to call!"

One step turns to two which turns to an easy stride away from her. Rei can only watch, her breath caught in her throat as the ends of Usagi's pigtails disappear from her view. She takes it slow at first, exhaling in one rough movement. Before she knows it she's taking a step back and shutting the door. Each motion is mechanical and purely her body acting out what should be done next. Her mind is elsewhere, running through the maze that are her thoughts.

Leaning back against the door, she can only idle there. Her eyes glance about the room and her breathing starts become quick and shallow. Those dark violet eyes hide away from the world and she can only clutch at her chest. The red shirt crumples in her grasp while her sock-clad feet lose traction against the floor. She begins to slip down the door and with every inch she finds her feelings morphing. By the time her rear hits the ground all she can see are the flashes of what just happened.

Usagi's distant glance. Blonde tresses swaying as she turns away from Rei. And that name on the screen of her phone.

Minako Aino...

Her other hand slams against the ground. The balled up fist repeatedly hits the ground several times, only stopping as she leans her head back against the door. Her breath comes out in heavy, rugged pants as she tries to quell the anger. But she can do no such thing with her mind racing for an answer – an answer to stop the smile from slipping away from her lips. Usagi is hers after all, the one that loves her back just as much.

That's when she recalls, Usagi will call her – she's coming back. The phone call means nothing. The blatant lie means nothing.

But even as she repeats that in her mind, she can't stop her heart from constricting in her chest – as if it's shrinking to try to reduce the damage it's taking.

_**Have you been thinking 'bout her or about me? And while I wait I put on my perfume. Yeah, I want it all over you. I'm gonna mark my territory.**_

Rei lolls her head against the door; right, left, right, left. Finally she stops and opens her eyes, staring over at her bed. She bites at the inside of her lip, worrying it between her teeth. Those purple eyes of hers seem to become hazy with love and lust, two sides of the same coin. For all she can do is stare at the bed on the other side of the room. She watches the scene play out in her mind as if it were a movie.

The way she gently pushed Usagi down against the bed. Running her hand up the girl's leg and only stopping once she cupped her face. Rei cupped the girl's face in her hands and kissed her with such a fiery passion that she thought she had seared the love into Usagi's heart – branding Usagi as hers. She can feel the hands reaching for her, weaving into her tresses and pulling her head close. How the heat between them only grew as Rei slid down on top of her, meshing their bodies so closely that they could become one.

Most of all, she can recall perfectly how she leaned back and took in the way the dimmed lighting highlighted Usagi's face. To which she slowly grew closer to before pressing her lips to the side of Usagi's jaw, whispering a husky message of love in her ear.

But it's all in her memory as she stares at the neatly made bed, wishing it was real once again.

_**I'll never tell, tell on myself but I hope she smells my perfume. I hide it well, hope you can't tell but I hope she smells my perfume. I wanna fill the room when she's in it with you. **_

It's not long before Usagi is to her new destination. She comes up to a stop outside of Minako's apartment. It's only a moment later that the girl steps off the stairs and grins at Usagi, her bright blue eyes full of glee. Her hair flows out behind her like spun gold held together at one point, a bright red bow. The young woman holds at the sides of her dress, showing it to Usagi. The green material is light and only goes down halfway to her knees. Around the waist is a bow of matching closer, tied behind her back.

"How do I look?"

Usagi's eyes run up and down her slender frame, a smile and a light blush coming to her face. "You look great!"

The barren street around them allows Minako the perfect opportunity. Her smile turns rather playful as she bounds up to Usagi. Brushing down the length of her dress, she leans forward and their lips press together. Usagi, who had leaned in the rest of the way, slowly pulls away after a moment. The second she does, Minako moves close and pulls her into an embrace. The hug is loose and friendly, something so simple to those on the outside but so romantic to just the two of them.

However, as Minako does so she takes a deep breath. She expects to smell the sweet smell that usually accompanies Usagi. But instead she receives the sharp scent of cinnamon that stings her nose. For a moment it burns and it's all she can do to back away. Under the guise of ending their moment, Minako takes a deep breath and smiles.

"Ready to go?" she asks. Although her mind can't seem to get away from the distinct smell on Usagi, her dear Usagi, she does her best to not let it get to her. Even still she can't fathom why that particular scent lingers on Usagi.

_**Please don't forget me. Do I imagine it, or catch these moments? I know you got history. But I'm your girlfriend, now I'm your girlfriend trying to be cool. I hope I'm paranoid, that I'm just seeing things, that I'm just insecure.**_

Standing apart, Minako reaches for Usagi's hand. She scoops it up into her own and their fingers twine together. Together, nothing else matters or enters their thoughts. Minako glances over at Usagi, still close enough to her to keep her voice soft. "I love you."

In the last moment they have alone, Minako dismisses all thoughts on the perfume and tilts her head down. Usagi looks up at her, glancing over her shoulder, before arching up and meeting Minako's lips. She slowly pulls away, lowering herself back down, "I love you too."

_**So I wait for you to call. And I try to act natural. Have you been thinking 'bout her or about me?**_

The dim lighting casts shadows over Rei's slender body. She stands before her dresser in black lingerie with red lace around its edges. The brassiere and panties are a contrast to her milky white skin, which is tentatively covered by her long hair. Going about her normal routine in waiting for Usagi's call, Rei finally decides on her clothing. She shuts the last draw in particular before sweeping her semi-transparent maroon robe and slipping into it.

She closes the material around her body and goes to turn around, thinking about checking her phone. But she stops mid-turn, her gaze burning into the device – willing it to ring, if only once. Yet the seconds continue to tick by, each one thundered by the sound of her heart beating in her ears. All she can think about is Usagi.

What she would be doing to keep her from calling. Who she might have run into that distracted her.

Regardless she can't dismiss one fact. Her lover is on her mind and her doubts stab at her with little needle like thoughts – that Usagi doesn't return the favor.

Her hand idles on her robe, holding it together while digging her fingers into the material. She takes a shallow breath before finally turning her eyes away from the small device.

_**And while I wait I put on my perfume. Yeah, I want it all over you. I'm gonna mark my territory. I'll never tell, tell on myself but I hope she smells my perfume. I hide it well, hope you can't tell but I hope she smells my perfume.**_

Rei moves close to her dresser, her hands coming out to clutch onto the lip of it. Her weight is held only by the wooden furniture as her breath seems to catch in her throat. Swallowing hard, she tries to shoo any other thoughts aside. But it's no use.

Usagi hasn't called.

She shakily reaches for the small, round bottle of perfume. The light red liquid sloshes against the glass of its container as she grabs it. Rei draws it close to her body and places her thumb over the top, spritzing herself. The chill of the droplets hit her skin, sending shivers down her spine. The simple act does well to try and renew her hope, hope that Usagi is still hers. So she sets the bottle down, the slight clinking sound echoing in her ears. She strides over to her phone, picking it up and moving closer to her bed. Just as she's within a foot of it, Rei checks her phone for the time.

The bold, black digital numbers sear themselves into her mind. All she can see is that it's far later than their planned meeting and she has zero missed calls.

The phone slides from her fingers and drops to the ground. It bounces end over end before landing several feet away, the screen still lit. Her knees tremble and she can't stay standing a second longer. The robe flares out behind her as her legs fail her as she crashes to the ground, knees slamming hard against the floor. All she can do is try to breathe, the rapid shallow breaths making her chest heave uncontrollably.

Fingers stretch and curl, trying to grasp onto something – anything – as her lashes flutter. But even as she blinks them back, the tears still gather at the corner of her eyes. Rei brings her hands up to her hair, running them through her normally silky strands only to catch onto knots and tangles. She rips her fingers from her hair, slamming them onto the bed. The cries catch in her throat and it's all she can do to keep them in. She clenches her eyes shut and grits her teeth.

"L-Liar..." is all she can stutter out before the sobs destroy any thought of speaking.

Rei digs her nails into the sheets of her bed, balling them in her fists. She hangs onto the edge like it's her life preserver – her only way of staying afloat. But still she drowns, her sobs choking her as she leans her forehead against the lip of the bed. She inhales deep and suddenly all she can smell is her own perfume. The scent of cinnamon makes her gasp amongst the cry that leaves her throat. It burns through her senses and she can't seem to get away from it. Instead, she tugs the sheet closer to her, burying her face in the material to smother her noises as well as the smell.

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_Thanks again to the lovely TrueOptimus for another amazing prompt. ;v; And for the commission. I hope you love it!_


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